ABOUT US

PURVIN PANDIT ( Click here for my Picture)
As co-composer of this comprehensive web site I take pleasure in introducing myself. "Purvin" means "from the east", but ultimately I will land up in the west!!! Yours truly was born on the 24th day of March, 1978. I completed my school education from Our Lady Of Salvation High School, Dadar. Upon completing my junior college from Kishanchand Chellaram College (better know as KC college) I decided to take up engineering( when was that day!!!). I joined one of the most reputed colleges, Thadomal Shahani Engineering College (yes I mean that!!), in 1995 in the Department Of Electronics. I will be "Due West" in a bid to pursue a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering at University Of Illinois, Chicago with a possible specialization in Digital Signal Processing.
My music taste might not appeal to many. I have recently become an Iron Maiden fan, which is now my favorite band. They have incidentally been voted the best British Heavy Metal band of all time. Besides this I also listen to Def Leppard, Kishore Kumar, AC/DC, Lata Mangeshkar, Black Sabbath, R.D.Burman, Van Halen, Metallica and many more....what a blend, isn't it??  Not long ago I was a straight forward seeda sada fellow listening to pop and hindi shit (excuse me...all the Dal Men fans) .
Anyway, I wish you guys & gals the best of luck for your future endeavors.
Please feel free to contact me at any time.
AARESH POWVALLA
Well there is lots that I could tell you but Ill try and keep it short. I was born on the 23rd of March, 1977. I did my B.E. in Electronic  from Thadomal Shahani Engineering College (1995-99), and I must say that it is one of the best engineering colleges in Mumbai (with some of the best faculty and surely the best bunch of students). I passed out of junior college from Jai Hind College (with Electronics as my elective) in 1995 before which I had done my ICSE from Activity High School (those were truly the best days!!!). I will be leaving for US in the Fall of 1999 for my Masters in Computer Engineering (Department of Electrical Engineering) specializing in Computer Architecure/Parallel Processors at one of my favourite universities, RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY.
Purvin and myself had started doing research on American colleges since Sem V and ever since we have always been involved with it in some way or the other (giving tests, pre-apping, apping and finally preparing to leave). We remember how confusing the whole thing was at first with no proper guidance and so we thought that something had to be done in order to make life easier for all those who were to follow us Due West in the years to come. Through this site we have tried to cover all the experiences that we had (good or bad) during this long and tedious process. Hope that it proves to be of use to all you budding aspirants.
Lastly I just have to mention the select few that I worship: Def Leppard (music to the ears), Michelle Pfeiffer (beauty personified), Albert Einstein (give me his brain) and last but surely not  least my Parents (though it may sound like a cliche) they have been a great help all the way. With that I just wanna wish all you guys all the luck in the world (cuz you gonna need it). Go for it Buddies!!!

University Rankings - Computer Science And Electrical Engineering Rankings

When going through the information regarding a University students often look for the rank. Infact that is the first thing they go for. One is always under the impression that the rank of a University is of utmost importance, but do consider other factors while selecting universities.


University Rankings Resources : MBA Admission Tips
List of other MBA-related websites
MBA Abroad
US Travel GRE TOEFL
University Rankings
VISA Requirements And Procedure
What B-school interviewers look for
European MBA vs US MBA

Computer Science Rankings Rank University Name Rank University Name 1. Stanford University 55. CUNY - Grad Sch & Univ Center 2. Massachusetts Inst of Technology 56. Dartmouth College 3. University of California-Berkeley 57. Boston University 4. Carnegie Mellon University 58. California-Davis 5. Cornell University 59. State Univ of New York-Buffalo 6. Princeton University 60. North Carolina State University 7. University of Texas at Austin 61. Arizona State University 8. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 62. University of Iowa 9. University of Washington 63. Texas A&M University 10. University of Wisconsin-Madison 64. Oregon 11. Harvard University 65. Kentucky 12. California Institute Technology 66. Virginia Polytech Inst & State University 13. Brown University 67. Case Western Reserve Univ 14. University of California-Los Angeles 68. George Washington University 15. Yale University 69. South Florida 16. University of Maryland College Park 70. Temple University 17. New York University 71. Oregon State University 18. U of Massachusetts at Amherst 72. Univ of Southwestern Louisiana 19. Rice University 73. Vanderbilt University 20. University of Southern California 74. University of Nebraska-Lincoln 21. University of Michigan 75. University of Houston 22. Columbia University 76. University of Texas at Dallas 23. of California-San Diego 77. Louisiana State U & A&M College 24. University of Chicago 78. Iowa State University 25. University of Pennsylvania 79. New Mexico State University 26. Purdue University 80. Wayne State University 27. Rutgers State Univ-New Brunswick 81. Washington State University 28. Duke University 82. Kansas State University 29. U of North Carolina-Chapel Hill 83. Central Florida y 30. University of Rochester 84. Naval Postgraduate School 31. State U of New York-Stony Brook 85. University of Texas at Arlington 32. Georgia Institute of Technology 86. University of Kansas 33. University of Arizona 87. Alabama-Huntsville 34. California-Irvine 88. Old Dominion University 35. University of Virginia 89. U of Maryland Baltimore County 36. Indiana University 90. Southern Methodist University 37. Johns Hopkins University 91. Illinois Institute of Technology 38. Northwestern University 92. Connecticut 39. Ohio State University 93. South Carolina 40. University of Colorado 94. North Texas 41. University of Utah 95. Florida State University 42. Oregon Graduate Inst Sci & Tech 96. Lehigh University 43. Pittsburgh 97. University of Mass-Lowell 44. Syracuse University 98. University of Alabama-Birmingham 45. University of Pennsylvania 99. Mississippi State University 46. University of Florida 100. Kent State University 47. University of Minnesota 101. University of Oklahoma 48. Univ of California-Santa Barbara 102. Tulane University 49. Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst 103. Stevens Inst of Technology 50. University of California-Santa Cruz 104. Worcester Polytechnic Inst 51. University of Illinois at Chicago 105. University of Missouri-Rolla 52. Washington University 106. State Univ of New York-Binghamton 53. Michigan State University 107. New Mexico Inst of Mining & Tech 54. Pennsylvania State University 108. Oklahoma State University

Electrical Engineering Rankings

Rank	University Name		Rank	University Name
1.	Massachusetts Inst of Technology		64.	Pittsburgh
2.	Stanford University		65.	Duke University
3.	U of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign		66.	University of Tennessee Knoxville
4.	University of California-Berkeley		67.	Lehigh University
5.	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor		68.	Naval Postgraduate School
6.	California Institute Technology		69.	Texas Tech University
7.	Georgia Institute of Technology		70.	George Washington University
8.	Purdue University		71.	Vanderbilt University
9.	University of Texas at Austin		72.	University of Kansas
10.	Carnegie Mellon University		73.	Clemson University
11.	Univ of California-Los Angeles		74.	Clarkson University
12.	University of Maryland College Park		75.	New Mexico State University
13.	Cornell University		76.	Southern Methodist University
14.	Princeton University		77.	University of Central Florida
15.	Columbia University		78.	University of Delaware
16.	University of Wisconsin-Madison		79.	University of Connecticut
17.	University of Southern California		80.	Washington State University
18.	University of Minnesota		81.	University of Missouri Rolla
19.	Univ of California-Santa Barbara		82.	Boston University
20.	Univ of California-San Diego		83.	Missouri Columbia
21.	Texas A&M University		84.	Illinois Institute of Technology
22.	Ohio State University		85.	Ohio University
23.	Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst		86.	Air Force Inst of Technology
24.	Polytechnic University		87.	University of Cincinnati
25.	University of Washington		88.	West Virginia University
26.	Rice University		89.	Wayne State University
27.	Virginia Polytech Inst & State University		90.	University of Houston
28.	Pennsylvania State University		91.	Worcester Polytechnic Inst
29.	U of Massachusetts at Amherst		92.	Brigham Young University
30.	Yale University		93.	Stevens Inst of Technology
31.	University of Florida		94.	University of Oklahoma
32.	North Carolina State University		95.	Alabama-Huntsville
33.	University of California-Davis		96.	Wisconsin Milwaukee
34.	Johns Hopkins University		97.	Kentucky
35.	Brown University		98.	Univ of Southwestern Louisiana
36.	Arizona State University		99.	Cami
37.	Washington University		100.	Louisiana State U & A&M College
38.	University of Colorado		101.	University of South Florida
39.	Case western University		102.	Mississippi State University
40.	University of Arizona		103.	New Jersey Inst of Technology
41.	University of Pennsylvania		104.	Oklahoma State University
42.	State U of New York-Stony Brook		105.	University of Alabama
43.	Utah State University		106.	University of South Carolina
44.	Rutgers State Univ-New Brunswick		107.	Kansas State University
45.	University of Notre Dame		108.	Florida Institute of Technology
46.	University of Rochester		109.	Univ of Arkansas Fayetteville
47.	University of California-Irvine		110.	University of Toledo
48.	Drexel University		111.	University of Dayton
49.	Syracuse University		112.	Howard University
50.	Michigan State University		113.	Old Dominion University
51.	CUNY Graduate School & Univ Center		114.	University of Akron
52.	Iowa State University		115.	Oregon Graduate Inst Sci & Tech
53.	University Of Iowa		116.	University of Wyoming
54.	State Univ of New York Buffalo		117.	University of New Hampshire
55.	University of Virginia		118.	Florida Atlantic University
56.	Northeastern University		119.	Wichita State University
57.	University of Rhode Island		120.	Portland State University
58.	Case Western Reserve Univ		121.	State Univ of New York Binghamton
59.	Auburn University		122.	University of Mass Lowell
60.	University of Illinois at Chicago		123.	University of Vermont
61.	Colorado State University		124.	University of Idaho
62.	Oregon State University		125.	Tennessee Technological Univ
63.	Texas at Arlington		126.	Tulane University

VISA REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURE

Congratulations!!! Now that you have got your I-20s and decided as to which university you will attend, the thing most students dread....THE VISA INTERVIEW. Chillax, it's not as bad as some students project it to be. The Visa Interview depends a lot on your luck and how the visa officer is feeling on that day. You can only hope and pray that he is in a good mood.
Once the visa is obtained you must leave India within a period of three months.

Visa Requirements

The most important question on ones mind is what are the documents that are to be taken along for the interview. Here is a very comprehensive list of the documents.


1) A Valid Passport

The passport need not be valid for the entire duration of the stay in US( usually 1 and 1/2 to 2 years). It has to be valid for at least 6 months after the day the student appears for visa interview.

2) A Demand Draft

The Application fee of Rs.1980/- i.e.. USD 45 (please check up with the consulate for the latest amount, as this keeps on changing. You may call up 3637407/8 for visa information if you are in Mumbai) MUST be a Demand Draft in favor of the "American Consulate General, Mumbai ". Write your name and address behind the DD.

3) The Visa Fee

If you get the visa, a visa fee of Rs.4400/- i.e.. USD 100, either in cash or a DD in favor of the 'American Consulate General, Mumbai', is required to be paid immediately.

4) The Visa Form

You can obtain a visa form from the US consulate few days before you plan to go for the visa interview. They are generally open between 8:00am and 11:00am (In Mumbai). See that you ask for a Non-Immigrant Visa Application Form. In the form you are asked what your place of residence will be in the US. You may have not decided where you will stay on reaching there. So, you can write "on campus ". The visa form requires a 37mm * 37mm colour photo with a white/light background.

5) The I-20 Form, Letter of Admission and Aid letter

Complete both (students copy and school copy) the I-20 forms and sign them. You may also carry along any correspondence with the University that you feel is significant.

6) Exam scores

You will have to take original copies of GRE and TOEFL scores. Keep them separately so that you can produce them immediately when asked for( They hate waiting!!). They usually ask for the GRE score report. Also carry along with you all your original semester mark sheets. Usually they do not ask for HSC & SSC marks, but if you want to be doubly sure take them too.

7) Financial Documentation
(Please read this section very carefully as this may decide whether you go to US or not)

If you have got aid then you can chill out. Usually, they will not ask you about your financial position. For those who haven't got any financial assistance see that you show sufficient funds for the duration of the course.

a) The most common document students take is a CA certificate. This is a certificate stating that your sponsor has the required funds to finance your entire educational, living and other expenses. It gives a summary of the funds of the sponsor. For an outline of the CA Certificate please go to the Download Section.

b) Just the CA certificate will not suffice. You may be asked to produce all the original documents that were used to evaluate the funds. Some of the documents used for evaluation are-
the Tax returns of parents, salary certificate, bank passbooks, bank FD receipts, company FD receipts, share certificates, property documents, gold evaluation and any other document that you may have used. It is very important that you carry along all these documents.

NOTE: It is very important that you avoid showing complete financial funds from US. Scores of students have been rejected because of this reason.

8) Sponsor's Letter

Obtain a letter from your sponsor (generally parents) stating that he/she/they will provide for the complete expenses for the entire course of study. For an outline of the Sponsor's Letter please go to the Download Section.

Visa Procedure

As far as the visa procedure is concerned, they may change it at their own whim and fancy. So please verify from the consulate office. If you are in Mumbai here is what you will go through : CAUTION: Do not take an electronic equipment with you. Also the documents that you carry should be in a folder so that you can easily remove when asked. Keep the folder in a plastic bag if you wish. Leather bags, suitcases are not allowed in the consulate.

1) The problem is that the line is common for all Non-Immigrant visas( Students F1, visitors B1, Business L1, Work H1B etc...). . So, the lines begin at 4:00am with people coming from out-station too. But don't worry you need not go so early. You may reach there at around 6:00am.
The advantage of going little early is to avoid the sun and to get some place to sit inside in the AC. 2) People are allowed inside at around 7:00am. After you get in you will be asked by the security to sit and wait for your turn to come. At this point keep your passport, I-20 and the completed form ready. You will be asked to go to a particular counter. Submit the above documents and collect a pink token given to you.

3) Now stand in another queue (ask the security) with this token and your DD (Rs.1980/-) ready. The cashier will give you a receipt. Take this and get yourself a place to sit and relax. The consulate has good facilities for water, snacks and washroom. 4) The interviews start at around 9:00am. Be very attentive as they call out the token numbers (or sometimes just your name). It is very difficult to hear the numbers in the din. You will be asked to report to a particular counter. Wait for your turn to come. Give the pink token and call out your name. Be ready now with your documents for the SHOWDOWN !!

The most important thing to remember is not to get nervous. Yeah, its easier said than done, but try to exude some confidence when you speak. If you want you can practice answering some questions in front of an audience at home. It may work wonders for some.

Yeah now the section you have been waiting for. What do the visa officers ask??? Well, it is not easy to say what they will ask. It also depends on whether they want to give you the visa or not. Yes, usually they may have decided that before the interview!!! But over the past years some of the common questions that have been asked are given for your reference.

Your first aim will be to convince the officer that you are not using the students F1 visa to enter the US, you are very 'sincere' about returning to India and you have 'no intention' of immigrating to the United States. There must be concrete arguments regarding this and what you want to do after coming here. You can prepare for some questions like :
a) Does the program make sense?
b) Why study abroad?
c) Why at this time?
d) what are your career goals?
e) What after this?
f) What does your father do?
After your interview is over the visa officer will tell you whether the visa is issued or not. If issued you have to go to the cashier and pay the visa fees. Your passport with visa and I-20 will be returned at 4'o clock. Then you can go party!!!

If visa is refused the officer will give a refusal letter and return the passport immediately. If such is the case you can apply again after 3 working days.

Many FAQs are available via FTP on the archive site rtfm.mit.edu in the directory pub/usenet/news.answers. The path for this faq is /pub/usenet/news.answers/us-visa-faq/part5. To get the FAQ by E-mail, you should send a message to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with send usenet/news.answers/us-visa-faq/part5 in the body of the message. We highly recommend this FTP site. It should answer a lot of your queries. 

EXPENSES & RESOURCES

Some of the basic costs are listed below. These are however subject to change (increase that is!!!). You must also take care of currency devaluation in changing from local currency to US Dollars. For most colleges you will need to show atleast a years expenses as stated by the college, which could range from $15,000 to $35,000, when you send your admission form.
 
 

EXPENSES (yearly)	COSTS (In US Dollars)	NOTES
1) Cost Of Application	$20 to $75	Application Fees are non - refundable
2) Study Expenses  Tuition   Fees (Univ. Services)  Books & Study Mat.	$8,600 - $24,200  $8,000-$22,000    $100 - $1,200  $500 - $1,000	For a more detailed calculation of tuition expenses find out the cost per credit hour.    Computer Fees etc.  Engineering books may cost a lot and so you must try getting them from seniors out there.
3) Living Expenses  On - Campus Room & Board    Dining      Furnishing Costs  Vacation (Summer generally)  Off - Campus Hotel Accommodations  Single Room (Furnished)    One - Bedroom Apt. (Furnished)  One - Bedroom Apt. (Unfurnished)    Dining	$3,000 - $10,000    $1,500 - $5,000      $100 - $300    $1,000 - $2,000            $40 - $150 (per month)  $200 - $350 (per month)  $250 - $700 (per month)  $150 - $600(per month)    $1500 - $4000	Room and Board charges include housing plus a few  meals.  Almost all colleges have a few dining meal plans depending on the number of meals you'd want in a week.  You will have to provide for lamps, sheets, towels etc.  Certain residence halls close for summer vacation.          After you arrive a short stay in a hotel may be necessary.  Costs will vary from place to place  and are generally lower in rural areas.  Furnished apartment comes with furniture, carpets etc. but no cooking equipment.  Cost of buying or leasing furniture can be quite high ($500 to $1500 a year). Utilities may cost extra.  If you have access to a kitchen (and know how to cook!!!) you may cook your own food. A months food bill would come to  about $200 to $300. Cooking is not allowed on most On Campus residence halls.
4) Clothing	About $600 (winter wear may cost $600 more)	Winters could be cold where temperatures could drop below zero. Winter wear might be needed which could cost another
5) Medical Insurance	$200 - $600	Insurance policies do not cover eye examination and dental costs. In many universities this is mandatory.
6) Personal Expenses	$1,500 - $3,000	expenses such as laundry, phone bills, postage and entertainment (don't we all need a little bit of that).
7) Transportation  Air Travel (to US)         Daily Transportation	$600 - $750            Varies	Different airlines have different rates with AI being the cheapest. Do book atleast a month or so in advance cause flights fill up very early. Also ask for student concession if any.  People living on campus have almost no travel expenses. For those off campus may have to pay for public transport or a bicycle. And though not advised one may also buy a car, but its purchase, maintenance and insurance may cost you thousands.

 
 Assistantships are the most common form of financial aid at the graduate level. Availability of financial assistantships from university departments vary directly with the field.
1) Fellowships & Scholarships

Departments award fellowship on the basis of academic merit, normally after the first year of study. These are awards of academic honor that provide stipends to be used by fellows in furtherance of their research expected to devote time to their own work, fellows are not required to render any service to the university or donor.

2) Teaching Assistantship (TA)

Graduate students may be appointed to teach, supervise undergraduate laboratory classes or lead discussion groups. In return they may receive stipend and tuition exemption. Many colleges also require a high TSE (Test Of Spoken English) score and/or a good Verbal score on GRE. Teaching assistants work for about 20 hours a week. TAs are awarded the Graduate School or the Department.

3) Research Assistantship (RA)

Graduate students may be appointed to do research for which they receive stipend and tuition exemption. An exceptional GRE score and Academics are required to get RA in the first semester itself. Professors who are the principal researchers for grants in your area are responsible for awarding RAs. Research assistants work for about 20 hours a week.

FINANCIAL AWARDS There are number of Private Organizations that award financial scholarships or very low interest loans to students going for higher studies either abroad or in India itself. You must apply to these institutions somewhere around January end. They usually require you to send a self addressed envelope along with your Bio-data. But please check up with the individual trusts for their requirements. Mentioned below are few of the trusts that you can apply to.
 
 

1) J.N.Tata Endowment  To The Director  J.N. Tata Endowment,  Bombay House,  24 Homi Modi Street,  Mumbai - 400001	2) K.C.Mahindra Educational Trust  To the MAnaging Trustee,  K.C.Mahindra Education Trust,  Cecil Court,  Mahakavi Bushan Marg,  Mumbai - 400039
3) Mariwala Trust  To The Managing Tustee,  Mariwala Charity Trust,  409 Shah and Nahar Industrial Estate,  Dr. E. Moses Rd,  Worli Naka,  Mumbai - 400018	4) R.D.Sethna Scholarship Fund  To The Chief Executive,  R.D.Sethna Scholarship Fund,  Esplanade House,  29 Hazarimal Somani Marg,  Fort, Mumbai - 400001
5) Lotus Trust Scholarships  To Lotus Trust,  Lotus House,  6 New Marine Lines,  Mumbai - 400020	6) Sir Ratan Tata Trust  Sir Ratan Tata Trust,  c/o J.N.Tata Endowment,  Bombay House,  24, Homi Modi Street,  Mumbai - 400020
7) Seth Pirojshah Godrej Foundation  Seth Pirojshah Godrej Foundation  Godrej Bhavan,  Waudby Road,  Fort,  Mumbai - 400001 (Go here personally)	8) Tata Chem Golden Jubilee Foundation  Bombay House,  24, Homi Modi Street,  Mumbai - 400020
9) Naina Parikh Education Trust  Vithaldas Chambers,  Opp. State Bank,  Bruce Street,  Mumbai - 400001

PURCHASING FOREIGN EXCHANGE

Every student has to purchase Foreign Exchange (Forex) to meet at least the expenses for the first few weeks of stay in US, even if you have got aid (unless ofcourse you are staying with someone). The process of obtaining Forex is tedious and time consuming. You can purchase Forex say about 3 weeks before your departure.
Forex under entitlement for Higher Studies Abroad can be purchased from an Authorised Dealer (AD) like a bank, Thomas Cook. Most of the students purchase it from their own banks as the money is already lying there. This makes the job of obtaining the Forex easy.
The terms and conditions for obtaining Forex are :
1) USD 30,000 per annum towards tuition fees, maintenance expenses, books etc. Exchange in excess of USD 30,000 may be released to the extent of the requirement of exchange indicated in the letter from the University. If the student has received scholarship, he/she is entitled to avail Forex to the extent desired (ofcourse max. being USD 30,000).
2) Incase a student receives full sponsorship from a close relative, he is eligible for full Forex , if he desires not to avail of the hospitality.
3) Incase letter of admission does not state the amount of exchange required, exchange upto
UDS 15,000 may be released subject to adjustment while releasing further exchange.
4) Exchange is released in the form of currency notes not exceeding USD 500, Travellers cheques (TC) not exceeding USD 1,500. The balance amount is released in the form of draft in favour of the student/University as desired by the applicant.
 
The procedure for obtaining Forex :
1) Approach your AD, generally your bank.
2) Ask for an A2 and TRS form (if you just tell them you want Forex they will give you these forms). Fisrt time the student has to fill up the form and go personally (as you might have guessed you can't come down from US evertime you want Forex!!!).
3) Take along with you : I-20, Letter Of Admission and passport. Some ADs also require you to bring a confirmed ticket (you will have to check with your AD). A set of photocpoies of each of the above documents.
 

US Travel GRE TOEFL VISA Application Procedure

The academic world in the US is far more diverse in terms of educational resources. The educational system exploits the student's strengths and abilities to the fullest. Thousands of students go to the US annually for higher education. Many students who consider an education in US fail to get sufficient information and advice based on their individual needs and abilities, as well as the many differences in American universities. As a result they may secure admission in a university with expectations that cannot be fulfilled. To avoid finding yourself in such a situation plan well in advance and obtain all the information you need.
You most also remember that applying to US takes more time than you think. The entire procedure requires around one and half years. So start early!!!

REQUIRED EXAMS :

Usually tests are used to evaluate the skills and other abilities, of the students, that have developed over a large duration of time. The various exams that are required to be taken for the admission in US are mentioned below. 1) GRE (Graduate Record Examination)

You are generally( Almost always) required to take the GRE for all MS programs. This exam which is now computer based (CBT) is conducted everyday for the 1st 3 weeks. The application form and additional information can be obtained by writing to :
IPEM
Post Box number 19,
119/25-A, Mahatma Gandhi Marg,
Allahabad, UP- 211001.
Phone: (532)-624881/ 988. Those going for MS in Computer Science may be required to take AGRE (Subject GRE). You may need to confirm this with the university.

2) TOEFL (Test Of English As A Foreign Language)/ TSE (Test Of Spoken English)

All students whose national language is not English ( basically you!!) are required to show proficiency in English by taking TOEFL. TSE is not generally asked, but it may improve your chances of getting TA (Teaching Assistantship). TOEFL and TSE are conducted once every month. The TWE( Test of Written English) is conducted with TOEFL on certain days. In this test you will be asked to write an essay. TWE is free but compulsory if you appear on the day it is conducted. You can write for the form to the above address. Back to Top

PRE-APPING :

Well so you wanna go to US for further studies ehh!!! Well then you better start working on it about a year in advance (so if you are leaving for Fall 2000, you should start of by June, 1999) though both of us started it a bit earlier than that. The entire process starts with the pre-application procedure (or pre-apping, as we all like to call it ). A pre application is a request to the university to send you admission material (application form, brochures, financial aid info etc.).

First of all you need to prepare a list of universities from which you would like to obtain admission info. Though, preferably don't waste time making such lists. Just ask all the universities to send to you the admission package (you can later decide as to whom you wanna apply to). Since you will be emailing them it won't cost you any more to write to all of them. This way later you wont have to regret when you might need the admission form of a particular college and you realize that you had not pre-apped to that college. For a List of Emails you can write to, see our related section (this list contains only a few colleges and so for the rest, you will have to go to the respective college web site). You can also download a Sample Pre-Application letter that we had written to these colleges. Many colleges also offer download able forms from their web sites wherein you can download the form in PDF format and then print it (ofcourse for this you would need Adobe Acrobat). Another option recently introduced is applying online so that the form can be sent immediately. But you'll have to send all the required documents later. We personally preferred the first option cause this way we got written info on each college which is missing in the other two options.

Some of the sources from where you can get info are:

• College Seniors. This is a real useful source of info since most of them are always willing to help. Don't feel shy to ask them any queries that you might have no matter how stupid you think it is.
• United States Education Foundation in India (USEFI). Here you can get access to libraries, video shows and seminars get personal consultations.
• American college guides such as Barron's college guide, Peterson's Guide (we really recommend this book for beginners, but please don't buy it, you can get easy access to them through USEFI).
• American educational counselors. We didn't personally make use of this facility but many of our friends did so you could check it out if you feel that you don't have time to do all the work yourself.
• Web sites of Colleges and also sites like U.S.News (which can provide you with a lot of basic info to get you started). See our section on Related Links.

When writing a pre-app you must provide preliminary info to the university such as your average percentage in college, the department (program of study) you want to apply to (electrical engineering, computer science etc.), and also your GRE and TOEFL scores if you have them. You could also mention your work experience (if any), extra curricular achievements if you feel they are worthwhile. Some universities filter applicants at the pre-app stage itself, while most simply send application packets to everyone.

Back to Top

SHORT LISTING/SELECTION CRITERIA : A question that students often ask is "How do I find the best institutions?" Unfortunately there is no absolute definition of "best" University. To select institutions effectively, you must first think carefully (which we know is difficult!!) about your intentions and plans. There are no shortcuts in deciding where to apply (but then you always have your beloved Counselors to make all your decisions). Generally students apply to about 8 to 14 universities. Here are some of the points that you must look out for while short listing.
1) STUDYING AND LIVING COSTS

Considering the Indian Rupee is so poorly rated against the very strong US Dollar cost is a primary concern. Tuition costs range from USD 9,000 to 20,000 per annum (yeah!!! that's a big range so select sensibly). Yearly tuition costs specified by most colleges could be misleading so it is better that you find out the cost per credit hour and multiply by credit hours taken in a year. Alternatively you could multiply it by the no. of credit hours required towards graduate degree (usually 30-36) to get total tuition for MS degree. Cost of living varies from State to State (California is the most expensive state- expensive by far). You may prefer selecting a college where you have relatives (ofcourse they should be willing to put up with you). Housing costs can range from USD 3,500 to 11,000 per year.

2) AREA OF SPECIALIZATION

Most of you would not have decided on your area of specialization. However for those who have, see that the Universities have sufficient and well funded research (this maybe an indication of how much money is available for assistantships), lab. facilities, faculty and sufficient courses.

3) ASSISTANTSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

In graduate departments, availability of financial assistance varies widely from field to field and from university to university. Most financial assistance comes in the form of assistantship. Graduate students are offered Research, Teaching or Graduate Assistantship or Fellowships (the most prestigious). Look out for Universities offering a large number of these. This information is best obtained from students studying in those Universities, but a record is also available at USEFI (though it may not be up to date).

4) RANKINGS

Before the basis of your selection is solely on rankings, check the source of information that the ranking agency has used to rank the institution. There is never a consensus on the validity of rankings. There is no official ranking of universities in US. There are various criteria used by agencies, (like US News, World Report, Gourmand etc.) like student opinion, professors opinion on college faculties and their research, student to teacher ratio, research funding and many more. For University Rankings click here.

5) MISCELLANEOUS

You can also look out for minor factors such as students applied to admitted ratio, student to teacher ratio, percentage of students receiving financial aid.

6) COMPUTER ENGINEERING (DON'T BE MISLEAD!!!)

Well you see the problem is that computer engineering is not a seperate department and neither is it part of the computer science department in most of the colleges (very few colleges make it part of the CS department). Those wanting to do their MS in computer engineering will mostly have to apply to the electrical engineering department since comp. engg. is a specialization in the Electrical Engineering department. However check out individual colleges to find out wether it is part of CS department as the case maybe sometimes (though this would be very rare). Computer engineering basically consists of fields such as Computer Architecture, Parallel Processors, VLSI and CAD. Hence if you are interested in any of these fields then you should select Computer Engineering as your specialization.

Most of the information is best obtained from students from those universities, university web sites, USEFI and other web sites.

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DOCUMENTS REQUIRED :

Once you have prudently short listed the universities you wish to apply to, fill up their form carefully. Read the forms for the documents that they have asked for. Different universities ask for different documents but the most common ones are :

• Transcript : This is an official document issued by the college stating your academic marks till the last semester( usually upto the 6th semester if you are applying before you graduate). Take photocopies of this and seal them in an envelope with a college stamp across the seal. It must be addressed to the university you are applying to.
• Statement Of Purpose (SOP-in short) : Write an essay of about 500-1000 words providing a clear and concise statement regarding your study plans, research interests and professional objectives. The purpose of this statement is to provide any information they want the graduate admissions committee to know when considering their application. This may include : any recognition they received for some special accomplishment, the career they hope to pursue after the completion of their degree, any relevant work-ex they may have had. See our "SOP Tips section" for more. Take a look at some SOPs in the Download section.
• Letter Of Recommendation (Recos) : Request letters from 3 of your professors (preferably those who have taught you in the past 2 years) who have a direct knowledge of your academic and work performance. Usually they will ask you to draft the LOR and get it checked by them. See that you don't make it too modest, make it flashy. Praise yourself as you have never done before ( I know you do that all the time anyway). Try to get recos from professors who don't go exactly by the records. Letter should indicate your potential for rigorous, advanced study, and also focus on your originality motivation, written and verbal comprehension, expression and judgment. The recommender should note how long and in what capacity he/she has know you. Seal this letter and get it signed over the envelope lap. Take a look at some LORs in the Download section.
• Financial Statement : Obtain a statement from your bank certifying that your sponsor (generally your parents) has adequate funds for supporting your first year of education, living and miscellaneous expenses. You may show around $28K to $30K in the bank statement. Take a look at a bank statement in the Download section.
• Application Fee : Obtain a Demand Draft drawn on a US bank in US currency made payable to the university must accompany all application forms. The amount usually varies from $20-$100. Without this the application will not be processed. This fee is non-refundable and cannot be deferred.
• Score Reports : Make sure you make arrangement for ETS to forward your GRE, TOEFL, TSE scores to the universities that you have applied to. GRE score will cost you $13/college and TOEFL, TSE each $11/college. They (ETS) may revise the rates so check for the new rates .... just in case.

Additional Documents: Some universities may require attested copies of mark sheets till the last semester, photocopies of GRE, TOEFL, TSE scores.

All universities have admission deadlines (generally 15th Jan for the Fall Semester). See that your packets reach as early as possible, preferably by first week of December as certain universities have a rolling admission procedure. Admission packets can be sent by Courier Service, Registered Mail, Snail Mail. You can also ask someone in US to forward your packets to the respective Universities.
For Rs.50 you can purchase a discount coupon from Madhavi Desai to send your packets through DHL (Worli branch only).

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WHAT NEXT

Once you have sent your packets forget all about them and concentrate on your impending exam. Replies should start coming in by end January (if you had applied early). You will be beckoned with admits (and a few rejects as well) till mid April so don't be hasty in finalizing. Till the decision is made, you are likely to be fraught with anxiety and doubts, finding the pendulum whirling in all directions but one!!! Once again you can compare the universities that you have been admitted to on the basis of the selection criteria (which was used for short listing as well). Once the colleges have admitted you, they will send the admission letter followed later by the I-20 form. This document is essential for obtaining the F-1 student visa.